azaleas in bloom

It’s time for the azaleas to bloom around here.  It’s a very colorful time of year!





There were lots of bees buzzing around, but none of them would cooperate with me and stop moving long enough in the right spot for me to get a good photo.  I’ll have to try again, but I have a feeling I’m going to get stung before I get a good one.

field trip to the swamp

I was a chaperone for the 7th grade field trip to the Barataria Preserve and the Chalmette Battlefield near New Orleans.

First we walked through a swamp where we saw a few alligators.  The alligators weren’t too big.
They were much smaller than the alligator we saw at the zoo last month.
But then again, there was a fence at the zoo.  There was nothing between us and these gators and we were only a few yards from some of them.  They didn’t care about us though.  They just wanted to relax in the water and sun themselves.
The scenery was beautiful in the swamp.  I definitely want to go back when I can spend more time taking lots of pics.

After our hike through the swamp we took a ride on a riverboat down the Mississippi to the Chalmette Battlefield and back.
This is where the Battle of New Orleans took place in 1815.  It was the last battle of the War of 1812.
We had beautiful views from our riverboat cruise of Jackson Square.
It was a wonderful trip.  I think the kids learned a lot and had lots of fun.  And I did too!
       
                                  

i heart faces: slice of life

Mason caught this cute little fish in our neighborhood lake.  Don’t worry.  We threw him back as soon as I got a few pics!

scavenger hunt: mar 27

1. Decay – I think it’s been a while since this tractor was cranked up.

2. Groups of Three – Two grandsons plus one grandpa enjoying a Saturday afternoon.

3. Kitchen – This kitchenaid mixer is my favorite thing in my kitchen.  I always get a few questions about it so I’ll let you know in advance it was a color exclusive to Williams Sonoma a few years ago called “grass”.  I got a really good deal on it when they discontinued the color.

4. Things that make you go hmmm – We came across these two turtles in the woods facing each other. Either they were stubborn and wouldn’t get out of each other’s way or they were just having a chat.

5. Me time – I love reading outside this time of year.  Soon it will be way too hot.

project 365: week 12

1. a wildflower I found in the woods

2. a game of basketball with cousins

3. the five leaf clover I found in my yard

4. Alec with his dirt bike

5. Mason with my vintage brownie camera

6. another wildflower

7. a gator we saw on the field trip to the swamp

 

lucky

We’ve been really lucky this spring with the most beautiful weather.  It’s the kind of weather that’s perfect for playing some basketball outside with your cousins.

On Tuesday I came across a blog post at my take on photography that really got my attention.  I thought it was amazing how she and her three year old daughter both picked four leaf clovers on the same day without even trying.  They just reached down and picked random clovers and ended up getting lucky!  I have never found a four leaf clover in my entire life.  I admit I haven’t put much effort into it as an adult, but I spent lots of time trying to find one when I was a kid.  I think I have a tendency to look at the big picture and not the minute details of a scene.  Anyway, after reading that post I was in the backyard and noticed a patch of clover.  I scanned the patch and saw something that looked different.  I reached down and picked a five leaf clover!  I guess I will have to keep trying because I still haven’t found that elusive four leafer!

                              

my little brownie

I had a lot of comments on my last post about my vintage brownie camera.  Mine is the hawkeye model which was made between 1949 and 1961.  Can you believe it originally sold for $5.50?  I bought it on ebay a few weeks ago for only $14 including shipping.  There are lots of vintage cameras listed for very low amounts.  They make fun props and it’s quite interesting to be able to hold one and figure out how it worked!






        
                                   

scavenger hunt: mar 20

1. camera phone – I rarely use the camera on my phone so Mason let me use a photo he took last fall when we walked to the lake.

2. camera – This is my brownie that I bought on ebay last month.  I knew it would be a fun prop.

3. shoes – Mason has really good taste in shoes, don’t you think?

4. chair – Just a pic of one of the chairs on my patio.

5. imperfection – I love the looks of this really old tractor.